Thinkfinity Informational Materials

Title: Blog Post: Food Culture, Supermarkets, and Packaging
Description:
In this post, students will learn how packaging—and the unspoken dialogue between consumers and producers—is one way to understand the connection between supermarkets and food consumption habits in the United States. Package colors, materials, and other design elements of food products are very deliberate. Much like advertising, packaging appeals to our emotions and directs our attention to specific product features, like health claims or a free toy, while distracting attention from other details, like small serving sizes or questionable ingredients.
Standard(s): [SS2010] PSY (9-12) 16: Describe how attitudes, conditions of obedience and conformity, and other influences affect actions and shape human behavior, including actor-observer, self-server, social facilitation, social loafing, bystander effect, groupthink, and group polarization.

Subject: Social StudiesTitle: Blog Post: Food Culture, Supermarkets, and PackagingDescription: In this post, students will learn how packaging—and the unspoken dialogue between consumers and producers—is one way to understand the connection between supermarkets and food consumption habits in the United States. Package colors, materials, and other design elements of food products are very deliberate. Much like advertising, packaging appeals to our emotions and directs our attention to specific product features, like health claims or a free toy, while distracting attention from other details, like small serving sizes or questionable ingredients.Thinkfinity Partner: SmithsonianGrade Span: 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

Title: Learner.org
Description:
This is the main page of the Annenberg Media Learner.org Web site. It contains workshops, courses, pedagogical aids, interactive exhibits, and much more.
Standard(s): [SS2010] CWI (9-12) 8: Organize a service-learning project, including research and implementation, that addresses an identified community or global issue having an impact on the quality of life of individuals and groups.

Title: B.F. Skinner's Nose Cone of a Pigeon-Guided Missile
Description:
During World War II, the U.S. military needed to find accurate ways to guide missiles to their targets. Harvard University psychologist B. F. Skinner suggested that a missile nose cone be supplied with three compartments, each with a window. A pigeon would be placed in each section, and trained to peck on the window when the target appeared. If all three pigeons pecked, the weapon would be released. This prototype was never developed, but influenced later work on animal training. National Museum of American History
Standard(s): [SS2010] PSY (9-12) 8: Describe ways in which organisms learn, including the processes of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational conditioning.

Subject: Social StudiesTitle: B.F. Skinner's Nose Cone of a Pigeon-Guided MissileDescription: During World War II, the U.S. military needed to find accurate ways to guide missiles to their targets. Harvard University psychologist B. F. Skinner suggested that a missile nose cone be supplied with three compartments, each with a window. A pigeon would be placed in each section, and trained to peck on the window when the target appeared. If all three pigeons pecked, the weapon would be released. This prototype was never developed, but influenced later work on animal training. National Museum of American HistoryThinkfinity Partner: SmithsonianGrade Span: K,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12